Talk:Australia’s mothers and babies 2010

Glossary

age standardisation: A method of removing the influence of age when comparing populations with different age structures.


antepartum fetal death: Fetal death occurring before the onset of labour.


Apgar score: Numerical score used to indicate the baby’s condition at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth. Between 0 and 2 points are given for each of 5 characteristics: heart rate, breathing, colour, muscle tone and reflex irritability, and the total score is between 0 and 10. assisted reproductive technology: Treatments or procedures that involve the in vitro handling of human oocytes (eggs) and sperm or embryos for the purposes of establishing a pregnancy. augmentation of labour: Intervention after the onset of labour to assist the progress of labour.
 baby’s length of stay: Number of days between date of birth and date of separation from the hospital of birth (calculated by subtracting the date of birth from the date of separation). birth status: Status of the baby immediately after birth. birthweight: The first weight of the baby (stillborn or liveborn) obtained after birth (usually measured to the nearest 5 grams and obtained within one hour of birth). caesarean section: Operative birth by surgical incision through the abdominal wall and uterus.
 chorioamnionitis: An inflammation, usually from an infection, of the membranes surrounding the fetus. early neonatal death: Death of a liveborn baby within 7 days of birth.
 epidural: Injection of anaesthetic agent into the epidural space of the spinal cord. episiotomy: An incision of the perineum and vagina to enlarge the vulval orifice. extremely low birthweight: Birthweight of less than 1,000 grams. fetal death (stillbirth): Death before the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception of 20 or more completed weeks of gestation or of 400 grams or more birthweight. The death is indicated by the fact that after such separation the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles. forceps: Assisted birth using a metallic obstetric instrument. gestational age: The duration of pregnancy in completed weeks calculated from the date of the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period and her baby’s date of birth, or via ultrasound, or derived from clinical assessment during pregnancy or from examination of the baby after birth. grand multipara: Pregnant woman who has had four or more previous pregnancies resulting in a live birth or stillbirth. induction of labour: Intervention to stimulate the onset of labour. instrumental delivery: Vaginal delivery using forceps or vacuum extraction. intrapartum fetal death: Fetal death occurring during labour. Intrauterine growth restriction: A fetus whose estimated weight is below the 10th percentile for its gestational age. isoimmunisation: Development of antibodies directed at the red blood cells of the baby in utero. This occurs when there is an incompatibility between the baby’s blood type and that of its mother.
 late neonatal death: Death of a liveborn baby after 7 completed days and before
28 completed days. live birth: The complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, which, after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached; each product of such a birth is considered liveborn (WHO definition). low birthweight: Birthweight of less than 2,500 grams. 
maternal age: Mother’s age in completed years at the birth of her baby. mode of separation: Status at separation of patient (discharge/transfer/death) and place to which patient is released (where applicable).
 mother’s length of stay: Number of days between admission date (during the admission resulting in a birth) and separation date (from the hospital where birth occurred). The interval is calculated by subtracting the date of admission from the date of separation. multipara: Pregnant woman who has had at least one previous pregnancy resulting in a live birth or stillbirth. neonatal death: Death of a liveborn baby within 28 days of birth. neonatal morbidity: Any condition or disease of the baby diagnosed after birth and before separation from care.
 parity: Number of previous pregnancies resulting in live births or stillbirths, excluding the current pregnancy. perinatal death: A fetal or neonatal death of at least 20 weeks gestation or at least 400 grams birthweight.
 perineal status: Status of the perineum after the birth. It may involve surgical suturing of perineal laceration or episiotomy incision. plurality: The number of births resulting from a pregnancy.
postneonatal death: Death of a liveborn baby after 28 days and within 1 year of birth. post-term birth: Birth at 42 or more completed weeks of gestation.
presentation at birth: Presenting part of the fetus at birth.
preterm birth: Birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation. primary caesarean section: Caesarean section to mother with no previous history of caesarean section.
primipara: Pregnant woman who has had no previous pregnancy resulting in a live birth or stillbirth. pudendal: Local anaesthetic to block the pudendal nerves. 
resuscitation of baby: Active measures taken shortly after birth to assist the baby’s ventilation and heartbeat, or to treat depressed respiratory effort and to correct metabolic disturbances. sex ratio: Number of male liveborn babies per 100 female liveborn babies.
spontaneous vaginal: Birth without intervention in which the baby’s head is the presenting part. stillbirth: See Fetal death (stillbirth). teenage mother: Mother aged less than 20 years at the birth of her baby. 
vacuum extraction: Assisted birth using a suction cap applied to the baby’s head. vaginal breech: Vaginal birth in which the baby’s buttocks is the presenting part. very low birthweight: Birthweight of less than 1,500 grams.